Party of Love
by Ms Sherlock Holmes
Summary: Dan's throwing an end-of-school party and everyone's invited. He plans on telling Runo how he feels then. So will he be able to? Dan/Runo with a bit of Shun/Alice and Julie/Billy.
1. Last day of school

Runo was sitting at her desk, glancing at the clock every now and then. It was the last day of school, last class of the school year, and Runo swore that the teachers messed with the clocks in the school so that they can keep them in class longer and trivialize their suffering.

Only a minute has passed since Runo last looked at the clock. She sighed and looked at the desk next to hers. Dan was not paying any attention to anything, as usual. He was doodling on a piece of paper. Dan suddenly glanced up and caught Runo looking at him. He smiled at her and Runo felt herself grow weak. She smiled back and glanced at the clock. The bell was going to ring in one minute. Fifty seconds. Thirty seconds. Ten seconds. One second.

_Bring!_

Everybody stood up and ran out of the class as fast as they could. Runo ran to locker, checked one last time to make sure she didn't forget anything and raced out the doors.

"Such a beautiful day! I love freedom!" thought Runo, her mini-skirt moving in the breeze.

"Runo!" called out Dan, running towards her.

"Hey, Dan!" greeted Runo.

"I'll walk with you!" exclaimed Dan.

They walked down the sidewalk together.

"So, Dan, still having that last-day-of-school party?" asked Runo.

"Yeah! You're still coming right?" asked Dan.

"Of course I am! I wouldn't miss it!" exclaimed Runo, getting more excited about tomorrow.

Then she noticed Dan looked relieved!

"I'm really glad that you can come," said Dan, smiling the smile that always made Runo's knees go weak.

"Wh-who else is going?" asked Runo, still under Dan's charm.

"Shun, Marucho, Joe, Billy, Alice, Chan and Julie," enumerated Dan, counting on his fingers.

Runo groaned slightly at Julie's name. She was hoping that flirt wouldn't show up. They arrived in front of Runo's house.

"Well, see you tomorrow Runo!" exclaimed Dan, walking away.

Runo watched him for a bit and went inside, where she found Alice already in an apron and hair tied back.

"Hi, Runo," greeted Alice with a smile.

"Hi, Alice! I'll go get ready," said Runo, heading upstairs.

In her room, she threw her bag on her bed and put on her apron. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Suddenly, everything became a routine all over again. At least she has tomorrow to forward to. She went to join Alice.

***

On Dan's side, he had just entered his room. He was looking around for the list his mom gave him. It was a list of things to do for tomorrow.

"_Yes!_" thought Dan, pulling the list out from under the keyboard.

He noticed he checked out "guests". Dan thought of Runo and flushed with excitement. He was glad she was coming. He was planning to ask her out at the party. Dan noticed his reflection in the mirror his mom made him install. He noticed his slightly red cheeks. Dan chuckled. Better wait for the red to die down before going downstairs or his mom's going to think he has a fever. He sat down on his bed and went over his list. Drago, his bakugan, sat on the windowsill.

"So there's a party tomorrow eh?" asked Drago curiously.

"Yep! It's going to be awesome!" exclaimed Dan cheerfully.

"And I see that Runo is coming also," pointed out Drago smugly.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" asked Dan suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

Before Drago could answer, someone was yelling from the bottom of the stairs.

"Daniel! Come set the table!" yelled Mrs. Kuso.

"Yeah Mom, I'm coming!" yelled Dan

He turned to Drago.

"I'll deal with _you_ later," said Dan.

He left the room, leaving Drago alone, who laughed by himself. He couldn't believe that Dan seriously thought that his feelings for Runo were concealed. Well, at least from him anyway.


	2. Truth or Dare

The next day, Alice and Runo got up early. They had to decide what outfit, makeup and hairstyle they were going to wear at the party. They spent the whole morning deciding.

By noon, they were ready to go. The party was at 12:30pm. Mrs. Misaki was downstairs, washing the tables of the family restaurant when Alice came down. She was wearing a black skirt, about the length of her white shorts she usually wears, a blue halter top with matching earrings and bracelets. Her orange hair remained down. At the bottom of the stairs, she put on her black, strappy high heels. She looked beautiful.

"All set for the party, Alice?" asked Mrs. Misaki cheerfully.

"Yes, Mrs. Misaki!" answered Alice.

Just then, Runo came down. She was wearing a pair of form-fitting jeans, a pink spaghetti-strapped midriff top, gold bracelets and earrings. Her blue hair was also down, like Alice. At the bottom of the stairs, she put on pink, sandal-like high heels. She also looked beautiful.

"My, Runo, that's a change of outfits! This must be the first time I've seen you use the makeup kit your aunt gave you for Christmas!" exclaimed Mrs. Misaki, looking at her daughter from head to toe.

Runo blinked her eye shadowed, mascara eyes and smiled her pink lip glossed lips.

"Thanks, Mom! We're off now!" exclaimed Runo, as she and Alice walked out the door.

"Bye, dear!" said Mrs. Misaki.

The two girls walked down the sidewalk.

"So, Runo, _why_ did you dress up like this? Is it to impress a certain _host_ who invited you to the party?" asked Alice, smiling.

Runo turned as pink as her shirt, knowing who Alice meant.

"I don't like Dan!" lied Runo, hoping she was convincing.

Unfortunately, she wasn't.

"Oh come on, Runo! For the past week, all you were able to talk about was the party and about that it was going to be at Dan's house! And somehow, Dan's name always pops up in your conversations lately when he's not around!" exclaimed Alice, as they walked up the Kusos' front yard.

"All right! All right! I like Dan! In fact, I'm _crazy_ about him! Just don't tell anybody!" exclaimed Runo, as they arrived at the front door.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul," promised Alice, winking, as she rang the doorbell.

They heard some quick footsteps and the door opened.

"Hey!" said Dan, smiling.

"Hey, Dan!" exclaimed Runo and Alice together.

"Come on in," said Dan, stepping aside.

"Thanks," said Alice, stepping inside with Runo.

"The others are in the living room," said Dan, closing the door.

"Ok," said Runo.

The girls went in the living room. Dan remained at the doorway, staring at Runo's back.

"She looks great! I hope she'll agree to go out with me," thought Dan.

Alice and Runo entered the living room. Everyone else was there. The guys were dressed in their normal clothes. Julie was wearing a purple mini-skirt with matching navel-baring top. Chan was wearing a pair of jean capris with a red midriff t-shirt.

"Hi, girls!" greeted Joe, sitting next to Chan, hand-in-hand.

"It's nice to see you again ladies," said Marucho, smiling.

"_Real_ nice! OW!" said Billy.

Julie kicked him in the leg.

Shun didn't say anything. He was too busy staring at Alice.

"She looks _amazing_," thought Shun.

Alice caught him staring at her and Shun looked away. Runo nudged Alice and said:

"I think Mr. Strong-and-Silent likes you!"

Alice blushed and prayed that no one heard her. Lucky her, no one did. Dan entered the room.

"All right! Everyone's here! Let's get started!" exclaimed Dan cheerfully.

"Lets play _Truth or Dare_!" exclaimed Julie.

"All in favor for _Truth or Dare_?" asked Dan, looking around the room.

Everyone raised their hand, even Shun.

"All right lets do it!" exclaimed Dan, sitting down.

"I'll start!" exclaimed Julie.

She looked around the room and her eyes landed on Dan.

"All right, Dan. Truth or Dare?" asked Julie.

"Truth," said Dan, not surprised that Julie chose him.

"Dan, do you…have a crush on anyone right now?" asked Julie.

Dan grew stiff and closed his eyes. He reopened them and found everybody staring at him.

"Y-Yes. But I-I'm not saying w-who," stuttered Dan shyly.

Runo smiled. She just might be the one Dan liked!

"Chan. Truth or Dare?" asked Dan.

"Truth," said Chan, bracing herself.

"How long have you and Joe been seeing each other?" asked Dan smugly.

"A year and a half," answered Chan truthfully.

Joe smiled and kissed her on the cheek, causing her to giggle.

"Aw, how cute!" squealed Julie.

"Billy. Truth or Dare?" asked Chan.

"Dare," answered Billy.

"I dare you to dance the Chicken Dance!" dared Chan.

Billy didn't hesitate. He stood up and danced his way around the room. Everyone was laughing so hard, they were crying. Satisfied, Billy sat back down.

"All right Billy, it's your turn to choose someone," giggled Runo, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Joe. Same question," said Billy.

"Truth," answered Joe.

"Have you ever been under Masquerade's control?" asked Billy, glancing at Alice, who used to be Masquerade before he disappeared from her body.

"No," answered Joe.

Billy looked at Alice, who nodded to confirm Joe's answer. Billy nodded.

"Alice. Truth or Dare?" asked Joe cheerfully.

"Truth." answered Alice.

"Were you happy when you inherited Masquerade's Hydranoid?" asked Joe.

"Yes, I was and I still am. And he is too. He's with Tigrerra right now in Runo's room," answered Alice, smiling.

Joe smiled along with everyone else.

"Your turn, Alice," said Dan.

"Runo. Truth or Dare?" asked Alice.

"Dare," answered Runo, smiling.

Knowing Alice, it won't be anything too daring.

"I dare you…to give Dan a peck on the lips!" dared Alice.

"_WHAT!?_" yelled Runo, shocked.

Both she and Dan were blushing.

"Yeah, Runo, do it! Unless you're chicken," said Billy, enjoying every minute of this.

Boy did Runo see red after that remark.

"I'm _not _chicken!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Then go for it!" exclaimed Chan.

"Fine, I will!" exclaimed Runo.

She got up and walked over to Dan. Poor Dan was as red as his blazer.

"Dan," called Runo softly, wondering why she was doing this.

Dan looked up and Runo slowly started to lean forward. They closed their eyes. Their lips met and Runo immediately retreated. She returned to her seat.

"There! Happy now?" asked Runo.

"Yeah!" exclaimed everyone except Dan.

He touched his lips with the tips of his fingers.

"Yeah," whispered Dan quietly.

"Alice is going to pay for this. And I know just how," thought Runo.

"_Shun_. Truth or Dare?" asked Runo.

"Uh oh! Please say Truth! Please say Truth!" thought Alice.

"Dare," said Shun plainly.

"Oh no!" thought Alice.

"I dare you to give _Alice _a peck on the lips!" dared Runo.

Everyone went "Ooooh!" and Billy yelled "Payback time!" as Shun and Alice turned red and avoided looking at anyone, much less at each other.

"Fine," said Shun.

He got up, walked over to Alice, leaned forward, gave her a peck on the lips and went back to his seat.

"That…felt good," thought Alice and Shun.

Shun snapped out of it.

"Marucho. Truth or Dare?" asked Shun.

"Truth," answered Marucho, wondering what Shun will ask him.

"Did you ever read or watch anything that isn't educational?" asked Shun.

"I do watch the occasional anime and read the occasional manga," admitted Marucho.

"Cool! Which one?" asked Dan excitedly.

"I'll tell you later," said Marucho.

"Keep the game going, Marucho! There's still one person left!" exclaimed Runo.

"All right. Julie. Truth or Dare?" asked Marucho.

"Truth," answered Julie excitedly.

"Did you ever have a crush on Dan?" asked Marucho.

Everybody was listening in, especially Runo and Billy.

"Naw, I just like to flirt with him for fun, even though he's cute!" answered Julie cheerfully.

"Gee, _thanks_," said Dan sarcastically, rolling his eyes with a smile.

Everyone laughed.

"Ok. That wraps up this game. What's next?" asked Joe, holding Chan's hand.

Before Dan could answer, Mrs. Kuso came in the room.

"Time for lunch everyone!" she announced.

"Awesome!" exclaimed the group.

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	3. Baseball

As they ate, Dan had an idea.

"Hey, after this, how about a little bit of baseball?" suggested Dan.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Billy.

"Why not?" said Shun and Marucho.

"We're in!" said Alice, Julie and Chan.

"Sounds good," said Joe and Runo.

Suddenly, Runo remembered something.

"Wait! I'm terrible at baseball! I remember when I was seven, I had just moved here and Dan (he was also seven), let me play baseball with him and his friends. And I kept missing the ball, no matter how hard I tried," thought Runo.

_Flashback_

The sun was setting and the only ones left in the park was a little boy, about seven, who was rolling on the ground in laughter and a little girl with blue hair of the same age covered in dirt, looking exhausted and using a baseball bat for support. She was new in town and the boy was nice enough to let her play baseball with him and his friends but she kept missing the ball.

"I told you that you wouldn't be able to hit, kid!" exclaimed Dan, smiling, as he sat up.

"I told you my name is Runo! And I can hit that ball!" exclaimed Runo angrily.

Dan laughed some more and got up.

"Well, I gotta go! It was fun playing with ya, kid! See you the next time we play!" exclaimed Dan cheerfully, as he ran off.

"MY NAME IS RUNO!!" yelled Runo angrily.

_End of flashback_

"AAARRRGGGHHH!! MY NAME IS RUNO YOU BRAT!!" yelled Runo, her hands curling into fists.

Everyone stared at her.

"Uh, are you okay, Runo?" asked Chan, wide-eyed.

"Oops. I said that out loud," thought Runo, embarrassed.

"Um, yeah. Sorry about that. I was just remembering a memory," answered Runo.

"My, it must've been unpleasant," said Alice.

"Naw, the kid in it kept calling me "kid" instead of "Runo"," said Runo.

That triggered something in Dan's mind.

"Wait, were you playing baseball with that kid?" asked Dan.

"Yeah," replied Runo, wondering where he was going with this.

"And you guys played until the sun was setting and he had to leave?" asked Dan.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Runo.

"IT WAS YOU!!" yelled Dan, making everyone jump. "You were the girl in the pink dress that kept missing the ball!"

Everyone looked at Runo, who sighed.

"Looks like it's your turn to have figured it out," she said.

"What do you mean by that Runo?" asked Shun.

"Well, I didn't know it was Dan until my test with the Haos soldier. My opponent was seven-year-old Dan," explained Runo.

"Really?" asked Dan softly.

"Really, Dan," replied Runo softly.

Their eyes met and all they could do was look at each other with softened expressions on their faces, forgetting about everyone else in the room. All the girls giggled. The guys were looking a little uncomfortable, except for Joe.

"Hey, you lovebirds, we're in the room too, you know," said Billy, feeling like he had to say something.

Dan and Runo looked away and glared at Billy.

"EXCUSE-me?" they asked angrily.

"Let's just go play," said Marucho, getting up.

They all went outside.

"I'll be the pitcher," said Dan, taking his place.

"I'll take first base!" exclaimed Julie, jumping on first base.

"Second," said Alice.

"Third," said Chan.

"I'll be the guy behind the batter who catches the ball when he misses plus I'll be the umpire!" said Billy, taking his place.

"That means Shun, Joe, Marucho and Runo will be our batters," announced Dan.

"Great. I made myself a fool of myself in front of Dan in baseball once, I don't need a second time!" thought Runo sadly.

"Hey, Runo. Why don't you go first?" asked Joe innocently.

Runo sighed and went up to the plate. She positioned herself.

"I'll try to go easy on you," called out Dan.

Runo nearly dropped the bat in shock. Was Dan actually being nice to her? Now that she thinks about it, Dan's been nice to her for awhile. Runo couldn't believe it. She shook those thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on the game.

Dan gently threw the ball at her. Runo swung, and missed. Billy caught the ball.

"Strike one!" he called, throwing the ball back to Dan.

"Ok, I can do this," thought Runo, gripping the bat.

Dan threw the ball again and Runo missed it a second time.

"Strike two! Man, your aiming is terrible! Whoa!" exclaimed Billy, ducking.

Runo swung her bat at Billy's head.

"Never anger Runo when she has a weapon in her hands!" laughed Dan from the pitcher's mount.

Runo resisted the urge to throw the bat at Dan.

"But he's righ,t Runo! Your aim _is_ terrible!" laughed Dan.

"Oh _yeah_?" demanded Runo, fire blazing in her eyes.

"Yeah! Ouch!" exclaimed Dan, recoiling.

Runo threw him the ball, hitting him square in the stomach.

"How's _that_ for a terrible aim?!" scoffed Runo, pursing her lips.

"Not bad…" answered Dan, slowly recovering.

Everyone laughed. Runo, looking satisfied, re-positioned herself with the bat. Dan straightened. Keeping one arm around his stomach, he threw the ball. Runo swung and hit it. She stared in amazement, then ran to first base. She made it.

Shun was up next. He hit the ball so far away the he and Runo both made it to the plate. In the excitement of scoring for the first time in baseball, Runo jumped into Shun's arms and they hugged each other tightly. Dan and Alice both resisted the urge to rip them apart. Shun and Runo released each other.

The game continued for the next hour. They went back inside, into the living room.

"Daniel! Come get everybody's drinks," called Mrs. Kuso from upstairs.

"Thanks!" responded Dan, heading towards the kitchen.

"I'll help," said Alice, following Dan.

They entered the kitchen. On the counter were two trays of glasses filled with juice. Dan was about to pick one of the trays up when Alice asked:

"So, do you have a crush on Runo?"

Dan froze, feeling as if Alice had watched him carefully since the _Truth or Dare_ game.

"W-what?" asked Dan, trying to sound innocent.

"You know what," replied Alice, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter.

Dan felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks. He knew he could no longer keep it hidden. From Alice anyway.

"Y-Yes," admitted Dan shyly.

"I knew it. You didn't look bothered when I dared Runo to kiss you," said Alice, nodding.

Dan's blush deepened.

"What about you and Shun?" asked Dan, desperate to get the conversation away from him.

It was Alice's turn to turn red.

"Ha! I got her!" thought Dan.

"W-What about us?" stammered Alice.

"You didn't seem bothered either when Shun was dared to kiss you. Do you have a thing for him?" asked Dan.

Alice sighed. Dan had been honest with her.

"Yes. But don't tell anyone, please!" confessed Alice.

"Only of you don't tell about me and Runo," said Dan in a warning tone.

"Deal," agreed Alice.

They stared at each other for a moment, red-faced and relieved.

"Say, Dan?" asked Alice awkwardly.

"Yeah," replied Dan just as awkwardly.

"I'd say you have a shot with Runo," answered Alice, smiling.

"Really?" asked Dan, his eyes lighting up with hope.

"Trust me," replied Alice sweetly.

"Thanks. Hey, I know Shun since we were kids. I'd know if he liked someone. I could help you with that," said Dan, smiling.

"Oh, thank you Dan!" exclaimed Alice.

She walked towards him and kissed him on the cheek. Dan touched the spot where she kissed him and smiled. Alice smiled back.

Unbeknownst to them, Runo was standing at the doorway. She came to see what was taking them so long. She returned to the group, fighting back tears.

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	4. Teary confessions

"How _could_ she? After knowing how I feel?" thought Runo angrily, as she sat down.

The others refused to say anything with her like this. Dan and Alice finally came in, serving everyone their drinks. Dan served Runo's drink. She took it from him without thanking him, much less look at him.

"What? Is she mad at me? What did I do _now_?" thought Dan worriedly.

Alice also noticed Runo's cold attitude.

"This can't be good," thought Alice.

"Runo?" asked Alice cautiously.

Runo glared daggers at her.

"Ouch, if looks could kill…" thought Alice, wincing.

From across the room, the others were watching. Marucho was analyzing the situation.

"Odd, it's extremely unlikely for Runo to be mad at Alice. Dan, normal. But not Alice," thought Marucho, watching them over his glasses.

"What's going on?" thought Julie.

"Something's up," thought Billy.

"This is weird," thought Chan.

"What's happening to those three?" thought Joe.

"This isn't normal," thought Shun.

Runo suddenly got up and ran into the kitchen, her long blue hair flying behind her. Dan made a move to follow her, but Shun stopped him.

"I'll talk to her. She's probably not in the mood to see you right now. Whatever that reason is," said Shun, shaking his head.

Dan nodded and sat down next to Alice.

***

Shun entered the kitchen and found Runo sitting at the counter. He sat next to her.

"Hey, Runo? What's wrong?" asked Shun.

Runo looked at him and he saw that she had been crying. But not enough to smudge her makeup. But Shun had the feeling that that was coming soon. And he was right. Runo suddenly flung herself into his arms and started to sob. Shun grew stiff and awkwardly put his arms around her.

"Oh Shun! I don't know how to answer you!" sobbed Runo in his chest.

"Shhh. It's okay, Runo. Take your time," assured Shun, patting her back.

"It's just…It's just that…I saw Alice kiss Dan!" cried Runo.

Shun froze. When he found his voice, he managed to ask:

"W-What?"

"And Dan smiled! He smiled Shun! That meant he _liked_ that!" cried Runo, gripping his shirt.

"So…I take it you like Dan," concluded Shun quietly.

Runo nodded against his chest.

"And you…like Alice right?" asked Runo quietly.

Shun hesitated before answering.

"Yes," he answered.

"I _knew_ it," thought Runo triumphantly.

"So, you're just going to take this?" asked Shun.

Runo raised her head.

"What?" asked Runo, confused.

"He broke your heart. You won't let him get away with it, will you?" asked Shun, smiling.

"Maybe. What about yours?" asked Runo.

Shun's smile grew larger.

"I have my ways."

Runo giggled.

"Let's returned to the others," she said.

"Agreed."

They got up. Runo removed every trace of her tears and they went into the living room, where they saw Billy and Joe having a wrestling match, Chan and Julie were cheering and Dan and Alice were engrossed in a conversation. Billy caught Joe in a headlock. Joe spotted Shun and Runo.

"Hey, you're back!" exclaimed Joe. "Argh!"

Billy dropped Joe on the ground. They all looked at Shun and Runo.

"So, Runo, are you like, feeling any better?" asked Julie.

Runo suddenly had an idea to annoy Dan.

"Yep! Thanks to _Shun_!" exclaimed Runo, resting her head on Shun's shoulder.

Shun immediately caught on.

"You're welcome," he responded, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Dan and Alice grew stiff. They didn't like what they were seeing. Everyone gasped. Something was not right. Shun's never affectionate. Then Runo freed herself from Shun's grasp and sat between Dan and Alice. Shun sat next to Alice.

"I think it's time to lighten things up," whispered Julie to Billy.

"Right. Should we announce it?" whispered Billy, uncertain.

"Yes," whispered Julie, nodding.

"Can we have your attention please," said Billy, standing up with Julie.

Every eye was on them.

"Julie and I would like to announce that we're going out," announced Billy, putting an arm around Julie's waist.

"What?!" asked everyone.

"Congrats!" exclaimed Chan.

"Congratulations!" congratulated Marucho.

"Kiss! Kiss!" yelled Dan.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" exclaimed everyone.

Billy pulled Julie towards him and gave her a kiss. Julie responded with enthusiasm. When they separated, everyone applauded. They sat back down.

"That was…nice," thought Runo peacefully.

Dan glanced at Runo. He really wanted that with her. Suddenly, Shun stood up. He turned to face Alice.

"Shun?" asked Alice, surprised.

"Alice, I can't keep this from you any longer. I love you. Will you go out with me?" asked Shun, taking her hands in his.

"Oh Shun! Yes! Yes, I will go out with you!" exclaimed Alice, tears shinning in her eyes.

Shun smiled and lifted Alice to her feet. He kissed her.

"Woohoo!" yelled everyone.

The boys whistled and the girls cheered. Shun and Alice separated, and sat back down, hand-in-hand. Everybody surrounded them except Dan and Runo. Runo glanced at Dan.

"I guessed that leaves just the two of us," she thought.

Dan knew the time had come.

"Hey, Runo?" asked Dan.

Runo's heart accelerated.

"Y-Yes Dan?" asked Runo nervously.

"Will you come upstairs to my room with me? I want to show you something on my computer," answered Dan, knowing that this would sound innocent to everyone else's ears, which wasn't really necessary since everyone was too busy with Shun and Alice.

"Oh. Okay," replied Runo, trying to hide her disappointment.

She followed Dan upstairs, going unnoticed by everybody. They entered Dan's bedroom. Runo sat down on his bed. Suddenly, she heard Dan close the door. That's odd. Dan only wants to show her something. Why would he need to close the door?

"Um, Dan?" asked Runo tentatively.

"I don't want to be overheard," replied Dan, facing her.

"Overheard?" asked Runo, confused.

Dan took a deep breath. This wasn't going to be easy. What made it worse, he was sure that Runo was still mad at him. But he had to tell her.

"I need to talk to you," said Dan, his heart beating slightly faster.

"Oh?" asked Runo, blinking her brilliant green eyes.

Dan felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest and he was surprised that she couldn't hear it.

"Listen, I know you're mad at me and I'm not sure what I did to upset you but…" started Dan.

"Oh puh-lease. You expect me to _believe_ that?" demanded Runo, crossing her arms and legs.

Dan sighed. Runo was way too predictable.

"What do you mean by that? I seriously don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed Dan.

"Oh Dan don't even try to act _naïve_," said Runo, glaring at him.

"_What?!_ Are you _serious_? This isn't an act! Why don't you just tell me what's wrong?" demanded Dan, his patience slipping.

"Fine! Then I will! You kissed Alice!" cried Runo, tears stinging her eyes.

"_What?!_" yelled Dan in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

Then it came back to him. The scene in the kitchen.

"Oh. You saw that?" asked Dan nervously.

Runo nodded.

"But she's the one who kissed me!" exclaimed Dan in complete disbelief. "Besides, it was on the cheek!"

"Oh really? Then explain why you smiled?" demanded Runo.

"Because I was happy to be helping her!" exclaimed Dan, tears of anger shinning in his eyes.

"With what? Making out?" demanded Runo, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"With Shun! With Shun! She loves Shun! I told her that I'd help her find out if Shun liked her!" exclaimed Dan, tears spilling out of his own eyes.

"Why didn't you just tell me that before?" sobbed Runo.

"_How?_ You never give me the chance!" cried Dan.

Runo stood up. Dan braced himself but nothing came. For awhile, they simply stood there, tears rolling down their cheeks. Amazingly, Runo's makeup didn't smudge. Suddenly, Runo stepped forward, still crying. Dan watched her while trying to wipe his tears away, but they kept on coming so he gave up. Watching her didn't help them. Runo leaned her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry. What did you want to tell me?" whispered Runo, sniffling.

"I-I'll tell you. B-But let me calm down first. I don't think the tears will stop anytime s-soon," sobbed Dan.

"O-Okay," sobbed Runo.

They cried in silence for a few minutes.

"Why did I have to jump to conclusions like that? Look at how much I hurt him!" thought Runo, listening to the steady beat of Dan's heart.

"Aw, man. I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't imagine this!" thought Dan sadly.

"Runo?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes?" responded Runo quietly.

"I…I think I'm ready now," said Dan.

"Okay," whispered Runo, looking up.

The brown eyes met the green ones.

"Runo. A few months ago, I fell in love with this girl," said Dan quietly.

"Yes?" said Runo, wanting him to continue.

"We fight a lot, usually about silly things," Dan continued.

"Go on," said Runo.

"But today, we've just received our worst fight ever that reduced the both of us to tears and I'm scared that that ruined my chances with her," said Dan.

Runo gasped.

"Dan, you don't mean…" breathed Runo.

"Yes Runo. I love you. Will you go out with me?" asked Dan hopefully.

"Yes! Yes I will! _Oh, Dan!_" exclaimed Runo happily.

They looked at each other. Dan closed the distance between them with a kiss. Runo responded with joy. They released each other. Runo smiled and cuddled up to Dan. Dan blushed, smiled and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"Dan?" asked Runo, her voice muffled by his chest.

"Yeah?" replied Dan, stroking her hair.

"I think it's time to go back downstairs," said Runo, although she wanted this moment to last forever.

"Oh! I completely forgot about them!" exclaimed Dan, bewildered.

Runo giggled.

"It's your party!" she teased, tickling in the stomach.

"Hey! Knock it off! Ha! Ha! Cut it out! Ha! Ha!" laughed Dan, trying to take cover.

"Then go downstairs! I'll follow you!" exclaimed Runo, also laughing.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! All right! I'm going! Ha! Ha!" exclaimed Dan, grabbing the doorknob.

He opened the door and raced out of the room with Runo after him.

**Author's note: Wow! That's a lot of confessions!**

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	5. A toast to all relationships

In the living room, all was quiet. They had noticed Dan and Runo's absence and they were listening to see if any yelling was going to be done. They heard voices but they made no sense. Suddenly, they heard laughter and some footsteps running down the stairs. They remained still, as if scared that if they moved, they would miss something.

Dan and Runo made their appearance at the doorway. They were both laughing and Runo kept tickling Dan. Dan was laughing so hard that he fell to the ground, lying on his back. Runo went after him, not giving up.

"Have mercy! Have mercy!" laughed Dan, twisting on the ground.

"As if!" laughed Runo, tickling every inch she could reach.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed Dan, trying to protect himself.

Everybody stared at them and started to laugh. Runo finally let go of Dan and laughed with everyone else. Dan kept on laughing. After a few minutes, the laughter subsided.

"O-Okay…Can't…breathe," said Dan, trying to catch his breath.

Joe and Shun helped him up.

"Thanks," said Dan, smiling.

"No problem!" exclaimed Joe, smiling as well.

"That felt good," said Dan, clutching a stitch in his side.

"That stitch?" asked Billy.

"Ask a stupid question…" muttered Dan.

"I think he means the laughter Billy," replied Julie.

"Oh," said Billy, shrugging.

"What happened to you two? You were gone," asked Chan.

"We were in Dan's room," answered Runo.

"Why?" asked Alice.

Dan and Runo looked at each other and nodded.

"Does this answer your question?" asked Dan cheerfully.

He and Runo walked towards each other, threw their arms around each other and kissed. Everyone gasped.

"No way!" yelled Billy.

"You're together!" cried Alice and Chan together.

"That's so _cute_!" squealed Julie.

"May I give you my congratulations?" asked Marucho.

Dan and Runo smiled. The girls gathered around Runo, squealing with excitement and the boys gathered around Dan, patting him on the back and on the shoulder. They sat down.

"So that's all of us!" exclaimed Chan cheerfully.

"Hey!" exclaimed Marucho angrily.

"You're too young to be in a relationship, Marucho," explained Alice kindly.

"Oh. Okay," said Marucho.

"Everything's perfect," said Dan, as Runo laid her head on his shoulder.

Shun looked at the time. It was already six p.m.

"The time went by quickly! At what time the party finishes?" asked Shun in disbelief.

"At ten," answered Dan.

"So we've got another four hours left!" exclaimed Julie excitedly.

Mrs. Kuso came in.

"My goodness! Is everybody seeing somebody now?" asked Mrs. Kuso kindly.

Everyone nodded. Mrs. Kuso's eyes landed on her son.

"So I'm guessing you're with Runo, Daniel?" she asked smugly.

"Yeah," answered Dan, nodding.

"That's wonderful! Wait until I tell your father!" exclaimed Mrs. Kuso excitedly.

The boys snickered. The girls giggled. Dan wanted to crawl under the couch and stay there.

"_Mooom_…" muttered Dan, embarrassed.

Everyone laughed.

"Well, I came in to tell you that dinner's ready," said Mrs. Kuso, heading towards the kitchen.

Everyone followed.

***

They sat down at the table, dinner already there as Mr. and Mrs. Kuso were slipping out of the kitchen and headed upstairs. They served themselves and ate.

"So, what did you guys _do_ upstairs?" asked Billy, grabbing a slice of pizza.

"Yeah! We heard voices that were almost yelling, then voices that sounded that their owners were about to cry then it was complete silence until you came down the stairs!" exclaimed Julie.

"She's right. That's how it sounded like from down here," added Chan.

"And that's exactly what happened," replied Runo.

Dan nodded.

"_Really?_" asked Alice, taking a bite out of her pizza.

"Yeah. Dan brought up to his bedroom, pretending to be wanting to show me something on his computer, closed the door, we got into a fight (_again_), started to cry (both of us), we calmed down, Dan confessed his feelings to me, asked me out, I said yes, we kissed, I reminded him about the party, I tickled him, we ran downstairs and you guys came in," explained Runo, biting into her pizza.

Everyone stared at them.

"Whoa," said Joe in disbelief.

"That's a lot to take in," said Chan.

"Yeah, well, in the end, it's how you truly feel that matters," said Dan reasonably, taking another slice of pizza.

"Uh-huh!" agreed everyone.

Shun raised his glass.

"A toast to our relationships!" exclaimed Shun.

They all raised their glasses and gently hit them together. Then, they fell back into their usual conversations.

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	6. Time to leave

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. They watched a couple of movies for a bit and did a bonfire in the backyard.

Before they knew, it was time to leave. The boys walked their girl home. Runo was going to follow Alice and Shun since Alice stays at her house. Runo stayed with Dan a little longer while Shun and Alice waited outside.

"So I'll see you this weekend?" asked Dan, holding her hands.

"Yep! We'll pick out the movie then!" answered Runo cheerfully.

Dan smiled and kissed her.

"Well, see you then," said Dan quietly.

"Can't wait! Goodbye," said Runo.

"Goodbye," said Dan.

Runo smiled and went out the door. Dan watched her until she was out of sight, closed the door and ran upstairs to his room.

"So, I take it that you had a good time?" asked Drago.

"Yeah," answered Dan as he closed the door.

"You must be exhausted. Physically _and _emotionally," said Drago.

Dan didn't answer. He closed the light, fell on his bed and fell asleep.

_**End**_

**Author's note: Super short, I know. But that's how it ended in my mind. Thanks for reading!**

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